The Pet
by yesimadramaqueen
Summary: Rose wants a pet, so the Doctor gets her an...unusual...new friend. Suddenly, they're falling in love. 9/Rose. Totally random, fluffy fic. I wanted to do something different, and I love 9 so much. Goes AU after Father's Day. Enter at your own risk.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One: Pets**_

"Please?"

"_No_."

Rose huffed and swept a long strand of hair behind her shoulder. She folded her arms and put on her best pout. This face always worked on her past boyfriends—not that _he_ was her boyfriend, of course—so surely it would work this time. She fluttered her long eyelashes and stuck out her bottom lip. He smiled at her, which only made her angrier than she already was…and that was saying something.

"Why not?" she demanded.

The Doctor stopped fiddling with the console for a moment and focused his intense, blue eyes on her pretty face. "Because I said so."

"It's just a pet. What's wrong with that?"

"We're not even here half the time!" he defended.

"If we get a dog, it can come with us. It'll help us solve mysteries like Scooby Doo."

"No dogs. No pets. Too domestic. That's final."

"But I want one, Doctor. It'll make this box feel even more like a home."

"Like I said, _domestic_. Besides, you have pets all the time."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "I do not."

"I meant your boyfriends. You've got a new one in here every other week. They always follow you around, beg for your attention, and end up in your lap. That's close enough to a puppy, if you ask me."

"You are infuriating!" she groaned with a frustrated motion. "Fine. It won't be a dog. We can get a cat or something. We'll just leave it food and water. I'm sure you could think of something like an automatic feeder, so that way we could leave it here for a while. Please, Doctor? I really want this."

His resolve was fading, but he wasn't about to show it. He hid behind the console and his sonic screwdriver while both hearts pounded under his green jumper. How could a human wrap him around her little finger so easily? No. Rose Tyler would not win. He was over nine hundred years old, the last of the Time Lords, and the Oncoming Storm. A nineteen year old Londoner wouldn't sway him.

"Forget it then. I'll be in my room," Rose announced with a tiny, sad sound.

She stalked off with flare, another move that always worked on her boyfriends—which the Doctor _was not_, and she made sure to slam her door once she got there. The Doctor saw all of this and knew what she was doing. It was effective, but he'd beat her at her own game. With a quick change of course, he stopped off to pick up Rose's new pet…and how fantastic it would be!

Rose stayed in her room for the rest of the evening, and she didn't seem to notice that he had landed. He was careful about that part. When she heard a knock on her door, she smiled and hoped that it was the Doctor. Slowly, she opened it and the Doctor was on the other side. His daft grin left butterflies in her stomach, but she wouldn't admit it.

"You were right, Rose. We should have a pet," he continued to smile.

She grinned back. "Really? You changed your mind just like that?"

"Just like that. I've got a surprise for you."

"Do you?" she wondered with the quirk of an eyebrow.

He hummed and pointed to her bed. "Stay right there. Eyes closed."

Smirking, she did was she was told. For a long time, she heard things shifting about and the Doctor cheerfully humming. Then, she felt one of his big hands wrap around her wrist gently. Her heart pattered and she knew that she had to be smiling like an idiot.

"Open," he instructed.

She opened her eyes to see the Doctor kneeling in front of her with a small cardboard box. This intrigued her and didn't explain the noise. He bobbed his head to the left and she followed it with her gaze. A glass terrarium sat on her desk. It was filled with brown soil and a half-log. There was a little water dish and a few rocks. She turned back to the Doctor curiously.

"What's all that?"

"It's the home for our pet, Rose."

"Our pet?" she repeated, oddly fond of the way _our_ sounded.

He smiled. "Yes. She's in this box."

Holding up the box, Rose's imagination went wild. What could the pet be? What had the Doctor bought them? He didn't let her take it from him just yet. She tried, but he would always pull it away. Laughing, he stood and went over to the enclosure and leaned on it with an arm.

"Are you going to tell me what she is?" Rose questioned. "Or are you going to tease me forever?"

"Yes and yes. But first, I thought of a name. Tell me what you think. Daisy."

"Daisy?" she repeated excitedly. "You thought of the name _Daisy_?"

"What's wrong with me thinking of the name _Daisy_?"

"I don't know. It's so feminine…and you're…a tough man in leather."

He looked at her strangely. "Are you implying that I'm a manly man?"

"I didn't say that."

"I didn't say that you did."

Rolling her eyes, she motioned to the box. "Shouldn't you let Daisy out before she suffocates in there?"

"Good idea," he nodded as he lowered the box into the tank gingerly. His fingers easily undid the closure, and he hadn't stopped smiling yet. "Go on, Daisy. Come out and meet your mum."

Rose moved closer, idly hovering at the Doctor's side. After a long moment, Daisy revealed herself. Rose screamed and backed away as the Doctor doubled over in laughter. Rose scowled and pointed an irate finger.

"You!"

"Yes. Me. Hello."

"I can't believe this! What kind of sick joke were you trying to play?"

"It's not a joke. This is our pet named Daisy," he frowned with a nod to the enclosure.

Rose took a steadying breath. "Doctor…you brought home a big, hairy…spider."

"A tarantula, to be exact. They're very low maintenance. This one is a rose hair. Mature female. Beautiful markings on the legs. Little, brown rings. Really complements the pinkish hue. Very friendly. I held her in the pet store. Would you like to hold her?"

"_No_. I want that insect out of my room."

"Arachnid. Insects have six legs while arachnids have eight."

"Whatever it is, get it out of here."

"You wanted a pet," the Doctor shrugged. "You got a pet. An expensive one at that. Do you know how much money I had to 'borrow' from the automatic teller?"

She held a hand to her head. "Why couldn't you have gotten a cat or hamster or a fish?"

"Well, I got Daisy. Get to know each other. She's staying," he said sternly with a little wave to Daisy. "Bye for now!"

With that, he breezily walked out and left Rose alone with the tarantula. She gulped as she heard her door close. What was she supposed to do with a spider?


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: What now?**_

Her first reaction was to leave the room. As soon as she tried the door, she discovered that the Doctor had locked it from the outside. Groaning, she stayed on the opposite side of her room. She could see Daisy, but Daisy wasn't moving. She had climbed atop her half-log and was incredibly still. There were no signs of life whatsoever. The thing had to be at least five inches long at the legs. She was all hairy and disturbing. Rose was never one for spiders, so this wasn't a good match. After almost twenty minutes of standing there, she decided to take action.

"It's not a Dalek. It's not a ghost. Not some scary alien on the ceiling. Just a spider. That's all," she mumbled as she edged closer. "What am I going to do with you?"

That's when it hit her. Maybe she could get the spider out, if the Doctor wouldn't. With as much speed as possible, she put the lid on the tank and backed away. The cardboard box was beside the tank, as the Doctor had moved it during their little exchange, so Rose picked it up to look for any markings. Sure enough, the pet store was on the bottom with a phone number.

"Bad Wolf Exotics," she read with a curious flashback to other times she had seen those words. She shook it off and reached into her pocket for her mobile. "Not in my pocket. I left it by the bed," she muttered as she went to get it. It was gone…no doubt the Doctor's doing. "That big eared, big nosed Northerner!"

"Heard that!" the Doctor's voice echoed from the hallway.

Rose put her face in her hands. "This is not happening. _Your wish is my command, but be careful what you wish for, Rose Tyler._ That's what he told me before. Blimey, did he mean it. Okay. I can do this. I'll think of something."

Her eyes fell on the spider and suddenly Daisy didn't seem so big. Maybe it was the large tank, but either way it wasn't as horrifying as before. The tarantula still hadn't moved an inch. It didn't even breathe like other animals. Just nothing. Was it dead? No, Rose remembered reading in school that spiders curl up in a ball when they're dead. Daisy was just…relaxing? Seemed pretty calm to her.

Upon checking the door and finding that it was still locked, there was nothing to do but hang around in her room. She attempted to take a nap on her bed, yet her eyes kept drifting to the tank on her desk. Daisy was in the same place as before. Soon, Rose moved to her side and watched the creature. She remained in her spot, sitting like she didn't have a care in the world.

"You're really calm, aren't you?" Rose asked her with an inquiring stare.

Slowly, Rose moved off the bed and pulled over the desk chair. She stayed at a distance, watching. Every so often, she crept closer. Eventually, she was right next to the tank with her face near the glass. Her fear had changed to a morbid fascination. Until then, Daisy was doing whatever tarantulas do. However, at that moment Daisy began to walk. Rose slid back as her heart raced, but as Daisy slowly crept along it didn't seem so bad. It was kind of neat, actually, to see all eight legs move together.

"What are you doing now?" Rose questioned as Daisy spread out against the glass. "Hugging your tank?" she giggled, edging nearer. "Well, that's thoughtful of you."

The door opened and the Doctor leaned against it with a cheeky smirk. "Friends now?"

"Me and the spider, yeah. You and me, not so much."

He frowned. "Hey, you like her now. You should like me for getting her."

"Can I have my mobile back?" Rose ignored his statement all together.

"Yeah," he grumbled as he felt around in his pockets. He handed it over and leaned in behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "How's our girl? Hugging the glass?"

Rose got flutters at the contact and his words. "Yeah. She didn't move for the longest time, and now she's spread out like she's getting a pat down."

"You know those tarantulas. Always on the run from the law from their underhanded dealings. It's all those legs. Can't resist. Do you want to hold her yet?"

"They bite, don't they? And they're venomous."

"Yeah. They can bite clear to the bone. And their venom is like a bee sting. Not too severe. Unless you're allergic. How about it then?"

She couldn't answer. He had already taken the lid off and gotten Daisy into his hands. Daisy, very confused, ran between them. He laughed and raised his eyebrows at the spider. Rose was nervous and didn't understand the joke. "Why are you laughing?"

"Tickles. Have a go. This is our pet. Daisy will be very offended if her mum doesn't show her attention."

Rose swallowed dryly. "What do I do?"

"Hold your hands out and together."

She did as she was told and the Doctor moved himself so that Daisy would wander onto Rose's hands. When Daisy got into Rose's palm, Rose about panicked. The Doctor was there to keep her hands steady so that Daisy wouldn't fall to her death. For several minutes, Daisy walked across Rose's hands and into the Doctor's, back into Rose's hands, and repeat. They were having a splendid time until Daisy felt brave enough to wander up Rose's arm. Again, Rose almost freaked out, but the Doctor was there to pick up Daisy and move her to his arm instead. Daisy settled into a place on his shoulder and he grinned.

"I think she likes us," he smirked.

Rose took a calming breath. "That was…I don't know…"

"Fantastic?" he offered.

"Yeah. Fantastic."

They exchanged smiles and he easily retrieved Daisy and put her back in the tank. He put the lid back on and they watched her for a long while, Rose in the desk chair and the Doctor leaning over her shoulders. She grinned at the Time Lord fondly and he noticed.

"What?"

"We have a pet."

"Feel more like home yet?"

"Strangely, yeah. It does. How about dinner?"

He offered his arm and they waved goodbye to the new member of the TARDIS crew. Things were never going to be boring again…


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three: The First Meal**_

"What exactly does she eat?" Rose wondered one week later. "And why haven't we fed her yet?"

"Tarantulas, depending on the kind and size and age, only eat about once a week. They can eat more and sometimes they fast for months at time. As for food, we need to go find some!" he announced as the TARDIS dramatically shifted.

Rose held onto the railings as the TARDIS spun and sputtered until they came to a stop. Smiling, he offered a hand and she took it. They left the TARDIS to discover a large field at night. The moon was full and fireflies flickered around them. Rose hugged his arm with a grin.

"This is beautiful. Where are we?"

"Earth. Centuries before you were born. We're going cricket hunting."

She frowned. "Cricket hunting…"

"Yes. There are no toxic pesticides in this era, so they're safe for Daisy to eat. Here's a torch for you and a torch for me. When you find one, use these tongs to grab it and put it into a bag. Off you go."

He happily went his own way and left Rose to hunt for crickets on her own. Grumbling about digging around in dirt instead of enjoying the romantic evening—not that she wanted romance with the Doctor—she turned on her torch and pointed it at the ground. As minutes passed, she quickly concluded that she needed to get closer to the grass. So, being the go-getter that she was, she got on her hands and knees to begin her search.

"Here crickets," she hummed in a sweet voice. "Come out wherever you are."

Soon, she found plenty of crickets. That wasn't the issue. Instead, she couldn't _catch_ the crickets. She'd go at them with the tongs and they'd hop to safety under bushes or into burrows. Growing frustrated, she blew a strand of hair from her eyes and dove at a particularly large one. Just by luck, she snagged it. It trashed and carried on, but she miraculously got it into her bag. She held it up with a grin.

"I got one!"

"Tell me you got more than that," the Doctor's voice answered from somewhere uncomfortably close.

She leapt when she discovered him standing right behind her with his torch strapped to his head. He held up his bag, which was leaping from just how many crickets he had caught. Glaring, Rose stood to join him and wiped off the front of her jeans. He smirked at how adorably angry she looked—not that he thought that she was always adorable and such.

"How many?" she demanded.

"Thirty-one. You?"

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Just the one."

Surprisingly, he didn't give her a hard time and he didn't bother gloating. He simply stepped forward and showed her the strap to put her torch on her head. When she couldn't figure it out, he did it for her, carefully adjusting it above her eyes and straightening the hair that he had mussed. She felt like her skin was on fire in a good way, and she shyly smiled.

"Get down on the ground so I can get on top of you," the Doctor ordered.

Rose's jaw fell open. "Come again?"

"I'm going to show you how to catch crickets. What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

She got down on her stomach and he delicately straddled her from above. He took her hand in his to demonstrate how to hold the tongs and then they waited. Sure enough, the crickets started to appear around them. Rose wasn't sure why they were magically coming to them until she saw the blue light of the sonic screwdriver.

"Oh, you cheated," she laughed.

He scowled. "It's not cheating. I never said that you couldn't use your tools."

"What tools are those?"

"All right, I cheated. Be quiet. Wait for one to get close and then grab it by the leg. Further down on it, not too high. They can jump right out of their leg if they feel threatened. Trust me. They'll feel threatened. And don't hesitate. Just move."

Taking his advice, she waited for the perfect subject. Without thinking, she went for it. She snagged the cricket and added it to the bag with a giggle. The Doctor smiled and moved beside her. Together, they caught another thirty crickets. That'd be enough for a very long time.

Upon returning home, the Doctor and Rose stood above Daisy with a few crickets. She felt bad about feeding Daisy live food, but the Doctor explained in depth the way that food chains worked. The part that stuck with her was, _Really, the cricket's only purpose in life is to breed or to feed other creatures. These crickets would have died in the wild without any meaning, but this way they'll die so that Daisy can live._

Still, watching Daisy jump and tear apart a little bug was hard to see…until she did it again. At that point, it was sort of interesting. The Doctor was getting a real kick out of it. He pointed with a big smile and mouth full of TARDIS-made chips.

"Look at her go! That's our girl."

Rose smirked. "She is fast. I can't imagine that being a human hand. Well, I can, but I don't want to…"

"Oh, look! The next one is getting close."

"Huh," Rose hummed curiously. "Why doesn't Daisy just walk about and find them? She has to know that they're in there. Is she just lazy?"

"Opportunistic eaters. They wait for the food to come to them. Then, they strike."

The cricket wandered up to Daisy and poked her leg, but Daisy did nothing. Rose and the Doctor exchanged looks. Taking a closer look, the Doctor shrugged. "Well, it looks like Daisy is full."

"Look at that poor cricket. It's missing a leg," Rose frowned. "Maybe Daisy felt sorry for it."

"She's a tarantula, Rose. She doesn't feel anything."

"You're wrong. She's still a living creature. We can't kill this cricket, and neither can Daisy."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh no. I've created a monster."

"What're you on about?" she chuckled.

"I give you one arachnid as a pet and now you want to keep all arthropods you come across. What's next? Flies? Beetles? Scorpions? Maybe crustaceans?"

She pouted and nodded to the hobbling cricket climbing on Daisy. "Daisy likes him. We can't try to feed him to her again. He'll probably die soon anyway. I have a clear box in the wardrobe room. We'll poke holes in it and give him a little hiding place. We can call him Wicket. Get it? Wicket the cricket? Like in the game?"

His hearts softened at her excitement. There he went, giving into human girls again. "All right. Just this once. But first, you have to stop calling Wicket a boy. It's a girl. You can tell by the long protrusion from her behind. It's for laying eggs deep in the ground. She is clearly a lady, and you better say that you're very sorry for mistaking her for a gentleman."

"Sorry," she chuckled lightly.

She hugged the Doctor tightly and he happily embraced her back. They looked down at their odd pets with mirroring smiles. As if a time traveling police box wasn't strange enough already…


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four: Missing Daisy**_

__Over a month had gone by. Many of the crickets were dead, but some remained. Wicket, by some miracle, was still going. The Doctor couldn't explain it. He'd place her far beyond her lifecycle, yet she was healthy as could be. Rose did tend to her often, as the small cricket home was right beside Daisy's tank. Every so often, she'd slip some of her chips or breakfast in for Wicket. Crickets ate everything, and Wicket always seemed to enjoy it.

As for Daisy, the Doctor had an interesting attachment. Sometimes, he would enter Rose's room without knocking or saying anything. Several times, Rose had to quickly cover herself as she chided the Time Lord for intruding. He never really heard her, as he only entered to retrieve the spider. Daisy would climb onto his shoulder and the pair of them would exit to do routine work on the TARDIS or some reading in the library.

This afternoon, the Doctor had fallen asleep in the library while reading a rather dry novel. When he woke, Daisy was no longer on his person. She had disappeared. In a panic, he searched what he could of the library. It was massive, but at least she couldn't climb very well. He didn't want to tell Rose right away, yet the sonic wasn't helping and the fragile girl could be harmed. So once more, he ran into Rose's room without knocking. She put her periodical down with a glare.

"What have I said about running in here? You should at least tap on the door first," she grumbled testily.

He knocked on the door as he spoke. "Daisy is missing."

"What?" Rose asked as she leapt up from her bed.

"She was on my shoulder in the library, but now I can't find her. It's like she disappeared."

Rose covered her mouth. "Those shelves are so tall. What if she climbs up there and falls?"

"She's not arboreal."

"In English."

"That was English," the Doctor snapped.

"You know what I mean!"

"A tree-dwelling species. She's terrestrial. Lives on the ground. In the ground. That sort of thing."

Rose paced as her mind spun in circles. "She doesn't move much. How can she go missing? She doesn't even go to her food."

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted. "I checked everywhere. She's not on me or in my pockets. She's not in the library. My sonic screwdriver isn't working…"

"Is she in the hallway? Nearby rooms?" she hoped.

He shook his head gravely. "I didn't see her."

Rose pointed a finger. "You should have watched her. How could you be so irresponsible with our Daisy? Maybe I should take full custody."

"Right, the mum that feeds her other child chips and sausage. Don't think that I didn't know about that."

"You can't judge what I feed our kids. Look how long Wicket has lived. Besides, I didn't _lose _her in a blue box the size of a city!"

"This isn't helping," the Doctor interrupted. "We need to focus on the task at hand. There's a tarantula to find. You take the rooms in the second hallway from the library and I'll take the first."

She nodded as she gulped nervously. "All right."

"We'll find her," he assured in a softer tone of voice.

"Yeah. Of course," Rose agreed with some hesitance. "I'm sorry about all that, Doctor. I didn't mean it. Just scared is all. You're a great dad to our spider."

He grinned and they quickly split up to find Daisy. Rose searched several rooms and the hallway, but she didn't find anything. Just to be sure, she checked the library one more time. The Doctor was right. Daisy wasn't in there. She wasn't hiding under the furniture or between books. She wasn't sitting calmly on the floor. It was like she vanished into thin air. Rose was growing more and more upset.

"Daisy?" she called, although she knew that Daisy couldn't hear and didn't know her own name. At least, she didn't feel as helpless as merely standing there.

The Doctor wasn't having much luck. He checked everywhere except his wardrobe room. It was between the library and his room, so maybe she had wandered in there. Desperately, he searched and searched with no luck. He sat on the spiral staircase with folded arms. Rose was right. He shouldn't have let Daisy out of his sight for a second. Just when he was about to leave in order to tell Rose the bad news, he spotted something moving. It was his red jumper on the floor.

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted as he moved to the doorway. "Rose, get in here!"

She heard his voice from the library, where she was still searching, and she quickly followed his calls to the wardrobe room. He grinned and nodded to his jumper. She saw a lump moving slowly under it and they both darted to it. He peeled back the fabric and they held their breath. Sure enough, Daisy was on the floor and stopped moving. From what the Doctor could tell, she was perfectly fine. He held his hand on the floor in front of her and nudged her back legs with his fingers. She crawled onto his hand and moved to his shoulder.

"Dad's little girl," Rose chuckled. "This room is almost as messy as mine. Don't you pick up your things?" she wondered as she idly collected the jumper and a few other dirty clothes around the room. She put them in the basket to be washed and smirked. "If you cleaned up after yourself, this wouldn't have been a problem. She'd have been in plain sight this whole time."

"I don't have to clean up after myself if I don't want to. This is my TARDIS, you know."

"It's my TARDIS too," she argued. He paused and stiffly nodded in agreement, which almost gave her the best kind of heart failure. "Let's put Daisy back before she goes off again, yeah?"

"Yeah," he agreed with a smirk.

They linked hands and she leaned into the Doctor's shoulder, the one that didn't have a large spider on it. He carefully put Daisy back and hovered beside the tank. Rose had gotten back on her bed to read and smiled at the awkward man. She pointed to her desk chair and he cleared his throat uncomfortably. "What is it?"

"Sit down. You're making me nervous. You can stay to watch her for a while."

"I can?"

"Your TARDIS, remember?"

He held a serious expression. "It's yours too. Or did you not see me agreeing with you? I thought you would have remembered that. Maybe taken a few photographs to document the occasion."

She laughed. "Keep that attitude and I'll kick you out."

The Doctor pulled over the desk chair and placed his feet on Rose's bed. She smirked and looped an arm around them. In silence, she read and the Doctor observed their spider until they both drifted into sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five: What's In A Name?**_

"Fantastic!" the Doctor laughed as they entered the TARDIS after an exciting adventure.

Rose smirked and collapsed on the seat from exhaustion. "I wouldn't call almost being turned into a five course dinner for cannibals _fantastic_, but it definitely wasn't dull. I'll give you that."

He smiled and ran around the console to set the TARDIS to drift for a short while. Rose yawned and watched the man in leather work. He could feel her watching him, and it did bother him in the right way. Discreetly, he grinned in her direction. She caught it and felt a flush crawl up the side of her neck. He knew that she was watching, and she knew that _he_ knew. It gave her a headache to think of it like that, so she just tried to ignore the whole thing.

"I should check on Daisy," the Doctor decided after the uncomfortable silence started to get to him.

Rose was pulled from her efforts of trying to forget about getting caught staring at the Doctor. "Yeah. You go check on her. I'll just try to get a bit of rest. And no joking about humans being an inferior race. We get cranky when we're tired."

Nodding with a smirk, he started for the hallway. "That's one of the great things about Time Lords, Rose. We always have energy."

He checked on the tarantula and everything seemed fine. Upon returning to the console room, he found Rose with a dreamy look in her eyes. She had replayed the entire saga of Daisy's appearance in her room, and she started to wonder why they had become so attached. She thought that the whole thing started as a joke from the Doctor, but he didn't want to return the spider from the start. Was there another reason for Daisy?

"Doctor," she started as soon as she noticed him at the console. "How'd you come up with the name _Daisy_?"

"Are you asking about how my brain functions? I can give you a biology lesson."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop that. I'm serious. How'd you decide on it? Or, how'd you decide on a tarantula at all? Was it a joke?"

"Partly a joke," he admitted. "But not all of it."

There was a pause and Rose groaned. "I'm waiting…"

"You wanted a pet. I went to the store. I got you a pet. I named it Daisy. End of story."

He busied himself with the TARDIS and she stood, walking around it with a questioning glance. Obviously, he pretended that he wasn't affected by her eyes following his every move. However, he was _very_ affected. She stopped moving right beside him, half sitting on the console with a tiny smile. In her mind, she had figured it out.

"You don't want to tell me why for some reason. I know what it is."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. You're embarrassed. What, you had a tarantula as a kid and it brings back warm and fuzzy memories?"

He laughed. "Not even close."

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Because I have my secrets."

She put her hand on his arm and he swallowed nervously. "This doesn't have to be one. Please?"

After a long pause, he exhaled deeply and went for it. "Daisy reminded me of you."

The admission was sweet in his mind, but Rose wasn't seeing the connection. Was the Doctor calling her hairy and scary? She pulled away with a very confused look. He suddenly knew how that had to have sounded and held up both his hands.

"No, no, no, _no_—that's not how it sounded."

"I'd hope not…"

"I could have gotten you a cat or a hamster or a fish. They were all options. But, they were so _ordinary_ and you're…not…"

Rose smiled widely. "You got me an exotic pet because it's unique…like me?"

"Yeah."

"And you named it Daisy because my name is Rose, didn't you? Both flowers."

He was blood red and wouldn't answer. She laughed and playfully shoved him. Glaring, he put on a pouty face and pretended to do something important. "It's just a name. Nothing to it."

"I disagree," Rose hummed with a smirk. "I think that you were being sweet."

"No. Remember Shakespeare? _What's in a name? _I'll tell you what. _Nothing_. I could have called Daisy something like Arachne and it'd be the exact same."

She cackled. "It would not and you know it. And, if names didn't mean anything at all, you'd tell me what your real name is. It wouldn't matter to you. So, my conclusion is that our spider was named Daisy because of me. _You_ thought of _me_. Just admit it."

"No."

"Doctor."

"_Rose_."

"Come on."

"No idea what you're talking about."

"Fine," she grumbled disappointedly as she got an idea. "We should get another one."

He blinked in confusion. "Another tarantula?"

"Yes. A male. We'll call him Phys, pronounced like fizz."

"Really? Phys as a name? That's rubbish."

"It's short for _Physician_. After you. Just like Daisy is after me."

He rolled his eyes. "No. Why would we need a male anyway? They don't live very long."

"We could mate them! Have baby spiders."

"They probably wouldn't survive a mate. And why would we need baby spiders?"

She swatted his arm playfully. "We don't _need _pets. It's just nice to have a little family, yeah? You know that you adore Daisy. I say the more the merrier."

"You're being daft."

"You can name the babies."

"_No babies_."

"We'll be grandparents!"

With that, the Doctor started to walk away. She laughed and happily skipped after him, hoping to get under his skin as much as possible. After all, teasing the Doctor was one of her most enjoyable pastimes…


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six: Molt**_

__Rose woke like any other day. She stretched with a loud yawn and instantly went to check on Wicket the cricket. She was hopping about and chewing on bits of carrot that Rose dropped in the night before. She grinned and moved to Daisy's home to check on her. At first, she couldn't find Daisy at all. She had gone missing. Just when she was about to call for the Doctor, she spotted Daisy beneath her log.

"What are you doing under there?" she wondered aloud as she bent down to look inside. When she saw it, she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Doctor!"

He came running into the room with a worried expression. "Rose?"

"Daisy. Something's wrong."

Slowly, he bent down to see and silently stood at his full height. She bit her lip anxiously as he took off the top and gingerly moved her log. Rose gripped the Doctor's jacket and buried her face into his shoulder. After a pause, he turned around and gently put his hands on her back. She had the ghost of tears hovering in her eyes, for she assumed the worst. He looked deeply at her and suddenly grinned.

"Rose, Daisy is molting! Ha! Isn't that fantastic?"

Instantly, she frowned and looked again at the spider. Daisy was on her back, splayed out, and not moving. The tarantula appeared dead. Glaring, she pointed at the enclosure. "What exactly is 'molting' and why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Most invertebrates go through ecdysis. You've never heard of it? They shed their exterior skin in order to grow. It's a brilliant process. Completely fascinating. Deformed or missing limbs can be formed like nothing ever happened. Isn't that clever?"

"Hold on…" Rose slowed him with the slight motion of her hand. "Daisy is growing by shedding her skin? How is that even possible?"

"Easy. She'll just burst through the old skin and toss it aside like a newspaper she's already read."

"So, how long will it take? A few minutes?"

He looked at her as if she had dribble on her chin. "You're joking. It'll take up to twelve hours."

"That long? Really? And she'll be fine afterwards?"

"She'll be soft. The new exoskeleton has to harden. That'll take a few weeks. We can't feed her until then. I knew this was coming! She had a little bald spot and she wouldn't eat."

Rose huffed irritably. "Again, you didn't _tell me anything_. This is my spider too."

"I assumed that you knew. For once, I didn't treat you like a silly human. You should feel flattered. Now, we have to check on her throughout the day just in case."

Her eyes widened. "In case of what? Can something go wrong?"

"Oh yes. Plenty of things. It could be a wet molt. They rarely survive, if that's the case. Her old age could be a factor. This is a very delicate time for the spider. We can't touch her or move anything. Just let her do her thing."

"But now I'll be worried about her all day."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. We just have to be vigilant. Where would you like to explore today? How about that adventure in the Australian Outback that you're always nagging me to take you on?"

Pointedly, she pulled up a chair. "I'm not leaving Daisy until I know that she's safe."

"Rose, it could take _twelve hours_ before we know that."

"So?"

Sighing at his stubborn companion, he exited the room without another word. She frowned at this action and silently watched Daisy. Several minutes later, a crashing sound behind her caused her to leap upwards. She spun about to find the Doctor dumping what appeared to be the entire contents of the kitchen cupboard onto her bed. He smiled and pulled up another chair, producing drinks from his inner coat pocket. She grinned and happily leaned against his shoulder.

"Popcorn?" he offered, yet it wasn't popped and was still in the bag.

She chuckled in response. "I'm not a fan of popcorn that isn't popped, Doctor."

"I'll fix that. Hold this," he handed her a bucket and pulled his sonic screwdriver. The popcorn popped and practically exploded into the bucket. "There we are. Now, it's a good day."

Together, they ate popcorn and other snacks all day as Daisy molted. After five hours of sitting there, they decided to get up and create a play area for Wicket the cricket. It was made from stacked books, furniture, and other bits and bobs. At first, Wicket just walked around and through the little obstacle course they made. Then, she easily hopped over the books. In a panic, they had to recapture her—with some difficulty—and return her to her home.

That adventure took two hours in total, and Daisy had made some progress. She was starting to come out of her old skin, but she wasn't free yet. By the ninth hour, Rose and the Doctor were in her bed. He was sitting up and she was lying in his lap. They were both oddly comfortable.

"Doctor, do you think that Daisy will look the same only bigger?"

"Yes. They'll be copies of each other, just one is larger. She might get an attitude. We'll have to watch her. Typical woman. Get a little bigger in the waist and their disposition goes out the window."

"Oi!" Rose laughed as she whacked his arm. "We're not all like that."

"Well, you're still young and attractive."

Her eyes shot up to his face and he pretended that he didn't say that. She had to tease him. "You think that I'm attractive? Doctor, is there something you need to tell me?"

"What would I have to tell you?"

"You have a crush on me."

"I do not."

"You do too."

"It's almost been ten minutes since we checked on Daisy. We should do that."

He got up and she rolled her eyes at his avoidance. The Doctor clapped his hands and pointed to the sight. Daisy was free from the old skin and in the process of flipping over. They watched as she got back onto her eight feet. Rose smiled and excitedly hugged the Doctor. He hugged back and they hung on a bit too long. He separated and cleared his throat with a nod to the door.

"I have things to do in the console room."

"Right, and I have to clean this room. It's a mess. You and your snacks. Could you at least take your banana peel and put it in the bin with the rest of the rubbish? Men _never _pick up after themselves."

He picked up his banana peel with a dramatic eye roll. "Women _never _stop nagging men. No wonder we die first. We want to."

She threw a packet of biscuits at his back as he ran out. Once he was gone, Rose went to Daisy's enclosure and smiled at the much larger spider. "Sorry your mummy and daddy fight in front of you. Especially now. We're not very considerate, are we?"

Daisy just sat there.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter seven: Strange Gifts**_

While Rose was in the shower, the Doctor quietly snuck into her room. It was several days after Daisy had molted, and she appeared to be in love with her old skin. The Doctor fought with her on several occasions, but the spider refused to surrender her shell. He decided that he was no longer going to play fair. Gently, he set his sonic on the table and emitted a pulse that would annoy Daisy. She didn't like the vibrations, so she moved away from the skin. Immediately, he grabbed it and suppressed a cheer.

He quickly retreated to his workshop to make a little something for Rose. It wasn't because he had a crush. No, no. It was simply to remember the first molt that Daisy went through as their little girl. No, no. Their _pet spider_. She was not their child…right? He shook the thoughts from his head and set the skin on the table. Basically, it was a dried and hollow replica of Daisy. It looked like it could come to life at any moment, but he knew better.

After a quick rehydration of the dried tissues, the Doctor got to work. He positioned the skin on its back, pinning it carefully down in the proper pose. Upon situating everything perfectly, the skin was displayed on a white board. He slapped a few titles on there in Gallifreyan for good measure, and then it was neatly tucked in a shadow box. Deciding that he wanted the ultimate element of surprise, he sloppily wrapped it in yellow paper and stuck a pink bow on the front.

"Doctor?" Rose called after getting ready for the day. "Why aren't you in the console room brooding about like you normally are?"

His head appeared from beneath the console. "I don't brood that much."

"You only brood about as much as I fix my hair."

"That's just cruel," he smirked as he joined her with the present behind his back.

She noticed right away that he was hiding something. "What do you have back there?"

"Nothing."

"All right. Fine. I noticed that you got the skin away from Daisy. You've broken her heart, you know. She's been looking for it. It's such a tragic love story. She went and fell in love with herself…and then she wound up alone…" Rose couldn't hold a straight face and chuckled at the idea.

"She did love that skin. I had to drive her away from it with my sonic screwdriver."

Rose found this highly amusing. "Is there anything that thing can't do?"

"Yes. One thing. But, we won't talk about its shortcomings. We wouldn't want to hurt its feelings."

"What about Daisy's feelings? Couldn't we have just left that thing in there for her? What if she gets depressed and tries to commit spider suicide or something. Like…jumping off her log or drowning in the water dish…"

"Please, she'll forget about it by tomorrow. Besides, I needed it for something. Long story. By the way, I have a little something for you…" he announced as he showed her the present with a big grin.

She smiled back as her eyes lit up. "Is that for me?"

"Yeah. Go on and open it."

Excitedly, Rose took the bow off and stuck it to the Doctor's chest. He smirked as she tore into the paper and looked down at the item. She leapt and almost dropped the box. Luckily, the Doctor rushed forward and easily steadied her hands. They chuckled as she studied the gift with curiosity.

"This was the skin, wasn't it? So that's what you needed it for. For a second, I thought that it was another spider…"

"No, just the skin. The Gallifreyan titles say that it's Daisy's first molt with us."

She hugged him tightly for the gift. "It's like how parents dip the first baby shoes in gold, only with us it's a tarantula skin in a box."

"It's not like that."

"Then what is it like?"

"Well, it's just…a way to remember…the first molt…and compare the sizes throughout time…"

"That's sounds a lot like the baby shoes, except that instead of a molt it's a first pair of shoes."

He groaned. "Rose, Daisy isn't our child. She's our pet."

"Huh, you didn't mind being called a dad before…what's different, Doctor?"

They stared at each other, both grumpy and irritated. His collar suddenly seemed too tight and suffocating. She was so pretty when she got annoyed, and he couldn't help thinking about having a small army of children with those eyes and that pout. The thought scared him, so he quickly busied his hands with the console. She purposely got into his way. Rose Tyler wasn't about to give up until she dragged the answer out of him.

"Doctor, I'm waiting."

"Nothing is different. It's just that she's a spider and not a child. That's all. We've lost sight of that."

"She's more than a spider or you wouldn't have framed her skin. You wouldn't have built a device to keep her safe. You wouldn't have watched her for over nine hours to be sure that she was okay or panicked when she went missing. This tarantula is the world to you and me both. Don't deny it."

"Fine. I won't. Happy?"

"Did you cut yourself shaving again? You're in a mood. And you complain about me acting like a girl."

He turned with folded arms. "I'm trying to work."

"It's hard to take you seriously when you have a pink bow on your chest," she smirked as she plucked it from his jumper. "Tell me that Daisy is our child and I'll leave you alone. Come on. I want to hear it."

"Rose."

"_Doctor_, you will disown our little girl if you don't. You can't hurt her like that."

Pinching the bridge of his nose where a headache had suddenly formed, he sighed. "All right, she's our child, but she's just a tarantula. She's not really our child. Our child would be a human and Time Lord mix with your eyes and hopefully not my ears…or nose."

Rose stepped back in surprise. "You've thought about what our kids would be like?"

"No. I. That's not. It's just speculation. General statements. Nothing specific. Or specifically thought about. Now, I have to get back to the cables under the console."

He swiftly went below the console and Rose smiled to herself. She took her shadowbox of Daisy's skin into her room and set it on her desk beside Wicket the cricket. Smirking, she looked at both the cricket and the spider. "Would you two be jealous if you got a few people for siblings?"


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight: The Cruelty of Time**_

"How about we go to a planet filled with history and a malicious race of talking cows?" the Doctor suggested hopefully.

"How about no?"

They both glared intensely. For once, they were not on the same page about where they wanted to travel. Rose was in the mood for something fun and relaxing, but the Doctor wanted something educational and dangerous. Both were far too stubborn to budge, so for the last thirty minutes they were squabbling like a married couple. Oddly, they were enjoying the feeling.

"Let's go somewhere with lots of dancing. Unless you don't dance," she offered with a wicked smirk.

He scoffed. "You can't know that I don't dance…"

"Well, I've never seen it."

"I can dance, Rose. I choose not to. Why can't we go on our usual adventures? I thought that you liked traveling with me for the danger and excitement."

"I do! I love it. But, I can't go running about _all the time_. I need a little relaxation every now and again. I'm an inferior race, remember?"

Folding his arms, he huffed and leaned on the console. "That _is_ true. Where do you really want to go?"

"Somewhere that's a bit chilly. Like winter or something. I know! Take me ice-skating."

"Fine, we'll go ice-skating _if _we go to the planet with talking cows tomorrow."

"It's a date. Let me grab my thicker jacket."

She skipped away and he was still hung on the word _date_. Rose hummed excitedly as she entered her room to get her jacket. She held it in her hand as she checked on the pets. Daisy had plenty of water and was finally back to her old self after the molt. Turning to Wicket, Rose noticed right away that Wicket didn't look well. She was spread out on the bottom of the enclosure with a flattened antenna. She was usually sitting up and ready to go.

"Wicket, you all right?" she asked as she looked down at the tiny thing. "You're not moving."

Gently, she opened the lid and picked up her feeding tongs. She carefully poked Wicket's back leg and Wicket lethargically moved. She clung to the wall of her castle—as Rose liked to call it, although it was just a cardboard insert from a box they found—and so Rose relaxed slightly. She decided to watch for a second longer. In front of her eyes, Wicket let go of the castle and fell onto her back.

"Wicket?" Rose croaked as she frantically picked up the tongs. "You shouldn't be on your back."

As she poked and prodded, Wicket didn't move. Rose dropped the tongs and her jacket to the floor, covering her face with a hand. Tears filled her eyes and she couldn't move. The Doctor noticed that Rose was taking a very long time, so he decided to go nudge her a bit.

"Rose, we should get going before all of the ice in the whole of time and space melts. You don't have to match your jacket to your shoes. You'll have skates."

He saw her position and quickly ran to her side. His eyes drifted to the cricket and he knew right away what had happened. She barely knew that he was there until he put a hand on her shoulder. She turned into his chest and cried over their loss. He was also very sad to see the insect go.

"She was fine yesterday," Rose whispered.

"We've had her for a long time, Rose. She outlived most crickets. They only have eight weeks of life. It was just her time."

"Forget ice-skating. I want to bury her. Somewhere nice."

He nodded and she left him to take care of the body. Gingerly, he wrapped the body in Wicket's cardboard castle. Silently, he carried the coffin into the console room where Rose was seated. She was still teary eyed and quietly held onto the cardboard as the Doctor piloted the TARDIS back to the field where they first found Wicket. He produced a shovel from somewhere—Rose wasn't sure exactly where it came from—and they walked hand in hand to the field.

Rose picked a spot under a large, spring tree. The Doctor dug a tiny hole and she lowered the cardboard into it. He covered it and they stood over it for a moment. Rose gently pushed the Doctor with her elbow. "Say something, Doctor."

"Like what?"

"This is a funeral. People say nice things at funerals."

"Right. A eulogy," he nodded with the clearing of his throat. "Wicket is the best cricket there ever was. She lived a long and happy life filled with love and time travel. That's more than most crickets get to have. She will be missed."

Rose nodded with a sniffle. "Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome."

She stood on her toes to peck his cheek. He felt the contact and turned towards her with a curious expression. Their eyes locked and Rose couldn't take the tension. She was already an emotional wreck, so she didn't care what happened next. Without hesitation, she moved in and kissed the Doctor on the lips. He was so surprised that he didn't react at first. She kept going and he gave in. After a few moments of intense snogging, they pulled apart and the Doctor turned away. How could he do that with a human?

"Doctor," Rose began with shock. "You kissed me back."

"Did I? I didn't notice."

"Admit that you have feelings for me already! You bought me a spider and just gave a eulogy for a cricket. Only a man with a crush would do that."

"Rose, you're upset right now. You don't know what you're saying or doing."

She rolled her eyes. "I know exactly what I'm saying. I'll make it easier for you. I have feelings for you, all right? There. I said it. I have since I first saw you."

"You must be mental. I'm over nine hundred years old, and have you seen my ears?"

"I find you oddly attractive. I know you find me attractive and clearly you like me, so where's the problem?"

"You're a nineteen year old human. You have your whole life ahead of you, and it shouldn't be spent with me."

"But I'm going to travel with you forever. You know that. How would it be different if we traveled as a couple instead of just friends?"

"You know what you're feeling right now? That pain and grief from losing Wicket? Multiply that a billion times. Imagine it has the intensity of the sun destroying your planet. That's what I will feel if you die on me. And you will. I'll outlive you by centuries. If I let myself love you, I'll have to deal with the consequences in the end. I will have to go on without you, and it will be the hardest thing I've ever done. I can't go through that."

She swallowed at his sudden outpouring of emotion and the harshness in his voice. After a pause, she calmly responded, "But I wouldn't trade my time with Wicket for anything. I'm happy to have had her in my life. She made me laugh when she'd eat sausage or something. I might be mental to have loved a cricket, but I don't care what anyone thinks. It'll hurt but I'll go on. I might find another cricket someday, and it'll never be Wicket. But, I'll be happy again. Doctor, all the pain in the universe is worth feeling all of the happiness. By the sound of it, you already love me. It'll already hurt. Why make it worse? Let yourself be happy for once. I'm not going anywhere for a long time. Like you said, I'm only nineteen. You're stuck with me for a while."

He smirked, but he didn't say anything. She stepped to him and gently took his hand. He didn't pull away and instead squeezed her hand. She grinned and kissed him again. When they pulled apart, he smiled at her with sparkling eyes. "How about some ice-skating in Wicket's memory?"

"Fantastic," she agreed as they started to walk to the TARDIS. "But let's visit Daisy first. We have to tell her that her mummy and daddy got together."

Laughing, they entered the TARDIS to get ready for the day.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine: An Odd Twist in Tradition**_

"I do not need new jumpers."

"Doctor, you have two jumpers and both are falling apart. You have to get new ones. I don't care if they're the exact same as the ones you have now, but the holes are getting ridiculous."

He sat up in their bed with an angry glance. "So, we'll just darn the holes."

"By that, I'm assuming that you want me to darn the holes because I'm a woman, right?" she grumbled as she turned on her side to face away from him.

They had moved into the same room with Daisy and it had been over six months since they got together. Both of them were very happy, but they sparred on a daily basis over silly things. He folded his arms and set his jaw in a pout. Rose started to laugh for no reason, so he glared at her. "What's so funny?"

"We've been together so long that I _know_ you have your pouty face."

"I do not," he scoffed, though inwardly he cringed at how well she knew him. "If I get new jumpers, you have to get new shirts. Maybe ones that don't have the British flag on them."

"Hey, I have pride for my country. Besides, you don't have to convince me. I love new clothes."

Defeated, he flopped onto the bed next to her. She chuckled at him, so he tickled her in spite. After attempting to fight him off, she wound up in his arms. They didn't sleep much that night. The following morning, they decided to go to a large mall for clothes. Just a few weeks earlier, the Doctor had created a special, portable tank for Daisy. As long as it wasn't dangerous, they brought Daisy everywhere. If having a big spider was an issue for the location, they didn't want to be there anyway.

"There, I've picked out two new jumpers. Happy?" he grumbled as he added them to their basket.

Rose smiled. "These are exactly the same as the old ones."

"You said that you didn't mind if I did that."

"All right, I did. I just thought that you might want to be adventurous."

"Maybe you're right. Pink and yellow would suit me so much better. But, if you ask me, they're _your_ colors. Well, Daisy and I are going to go walk around."

She smirked at his ability to be grumpy and sweet in the same breath, and she pecked him on the cheek. While she continued to shop, the Doctor and the tarantula riding in front of him like a baby went from store to store. Nothing was interesting enough for him until one store caught his eye. He had the idea for a while, but finally he was near a jewelry store. At first, they tried to kick him out for bringing Daisy inside, but they calmed down when they discovered that the Doctor had unlimited credit.

"This one," he said as he tapped on the glass. They showed him the item and he grinned widely. "What do you think, Daisy? Fantastic, isn't it? We'll take it."

He hid the item in his pocket and caught up with Rose for lunch. They returned home to the TARDIS and set the box to drift for the evening. As Rose slept, the Doctor formulated a plan and put it into action. In the morning, Rose yawned and the Doctor wasn't beside her. She sat up and looked around.

"Doctor?"

His head popped in from the loo. "Morning! We have a big day planned. It's time to clean Daisy's enclosure."

"All right, we can do that."

Humming, he entered the room and sat on the bed. Impatiently, he waited for Rose to finish getting ready for the day. Once she was ready, he opened the lid and took Daisy into his hands. He went back to the bed and sat there with Daisy. Rose stood there, unsure of what to do.

"I thought that we were going to clean her home…" she commented.

"I never said that. You're going to clean it while I make sure Daisy doesn't escape again."

She scowled at him. "This tank weighs a ton. I can't lift it and all that. You have to help me some."

"No, I don't."

"You are really something else."

"But you love me. I think that it's my charming face. The trustworthy grin. The sparkly, blue eyes. The distinguished nose. The refined wrinkles. The unforgettable ears."

"Love or not, I don't have to _like you_ all of the time. I can't believe that you're making me do all of the work. You good for nothing, Time Lord. Women are more than cooks and cleaners, you know."

He smiled widely as Daisy perched on his shoulder. "Less talk and more clean. Take out the log first."

"Maybe I won't. Maybe I'll go sit in the garden or swim in the pool. Maybe I'll go into your workshop and try to build something. I don't have to be ordered around by my boyfriend if I don't want to be."

She got ready to leave and he was still smiling. "Rose, I really think that you should lift the log."

"Why?" she reluctantly asked.

"Trust me. Go have a look."

In a tizzy, she stormed over to the aquarium and lifted the log. Beneath it, there was a diamond ring in the substrate. There was one large diamond in the center and four smaller ones on either side. Her jaw dropped and she turned to the Doctor curiously.

"By the way, I cleaned Daisy's tank last night while you were sleeping," he commented with a cheeky smirk.

"What is this?" she demanded.

"That's a diamond ring. Nine diamonds. The big one is the body and the eight, smaller ones are the legs. It's like a spider. I thought it was fitting."

She laughed. "No, I know _what _it is. I meant _why_ are you giving it to me?"

"Isn't that tradition, Rose?" he wondered as he walked towards her. "I thought that people are supposed to give diamond rings when they ask other people to marry them. Or is that not right?"

Her eyes filled with tears and then she smacked him. "Why were you such a wanker if you wanted to propose to me?"

"I had to throw you off. I wanted it to be a complete surprise. What do you say, Rose?"

"Yeah. I'd like that."

They kissed and Daisy quickly transferred to Rose's shoulder. They laughed at their odd family and then Rose rushed off to call her mother while thrusting the spider into his hands. The Doctor put Daisy back in her home and smiled down at the tarantula.

"I know what you're thinking. Why would I finally be settling down? It's not _really _settling down. Nothing has to change. We don't have to be domestic. I mean, if I'm finally going to let myself love someone, I want to know that they won't run off with some Arabian prince or young lumberjack on our travels. A girl like Rose? She'll have boys lined up across the universe. I have to move quick before it's too late. It's all or nothing in commitment, Daisy, and your parents are committed. Ha! Fantastic day…"


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten: Weddings**_

"We've planned this since the day after we got engaged, Mum," Rose assured Jackie at the Powell Estate. "That was almost nine months ago now. We know what we're doing."

"But Rose," Jackie huffed. "You want to have your wedding on some space station in the future? Why can't we have it here with our family and friends?"

"I haven't been at home for a long time. They barely know me or the Doctor. Besides, the Doctor isn't fromEarth. We'd have to pretend that he's human, and I want to marry the man I know. I can't do that here. He wanted to elope on a planet months ago, so you should just be happy I talked him out of it."

The Doctor popped his head out of the TARDIS with a guilty expression. "I did and she did. We'll be late. Come on."

"Isn't that a time machine? We have all the time in the world," Jackie argued.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, but you'd _use it_. Where's Ricky?"

"Mickey," Rose corrected for the millionth time. "He might not show. It is kind of odd asking him to be a part of the wedding. I ran off with you while I was with him. That probably doesn't sit well."

"It doesn't," Mickey agreed as he wandered up to the group. "But, this sounds like a wedding I can't miss. It isn't every day your ex-girlfriend asks you to be the best man to her alien boyfriend. Isn't he like a thousand years older than you?"

The Doctor folded his arms with an irritated glance. "Somewhere around eight hundred, but that's beside the point. Is everyone coming or not?"

Reluctantly, they piled into the TARDIS and set the course. They landed on space station where all of the paperwork had been filled out, the little chapel was booked, and the only thing left to do was get ready for the event. To Rose and Jackie, this meant getting into fancy dresses, doing their hair and makeup, and spending a little girl time. To Mickey and the Doctor, this meant something completely different.

"Mickey the idiot," the Doctor grinned. "I'm glad you agreed to carry the best man."

Mickey frowned. "What? Is that alien talk? I'm the best man."

"Rose didn't tell you? You're standing next to me, but my best man is Daisy. Best woman, I guess."

"Who's Daisy?"

The Doctor presented Mickey with the portable enclosure. Daisy was already inside. Mickey screamed and Daisy went into attack position. This cased Mickey to run and hide behind the laughing Doctor. "She really doesn't like you, Ricky."

"_Mickey_. What the hell? Daisy is a spider?"

"Yes, and she's very important to Rose and myself. You'll carry her down the aisle and stand next to me during the ceremony. That reminds me. I haven't gotten dressed."

The Doctor disappeared for less than two minutes. When he returned, he had only changed his jumper to the red one. Mickey was still hiding from Daisy, and the Doctor couldn't stop laughing. The girls finished and everyone left for the chapel.

After walking down the aisle—Mickey more like jogging—everyone took their place in front of the administrator. No one else was in attendance. The ceremony in the future was much shorter and to the point than Earth weddings, so it didn't take long at all. Rose and the Doctor kissed, officially joining one another as husband and wife. Jackie and Mickey both scowled.

"You better take care of her!" Jackie shouted as they went back into the TARDIS. "No more almost killing her!"

"But that's such a big part of our relationship," the Doctor smirked as the TARDIS began.

Mickey handed Daisy to Rose and awkwardly embraced her. "Congrats, Rose. Always thought that'd be us someday. I hope you're happy."

"I'm very happy. Look at us. I have a huge mobile home, a man who doesn't even wear a suit for his own wedding, and my very own pet spider…" she chuckled and then looked at him seriously. "It's everything I ever wanted. That man brought me to life."

"She did the same for me," the Doctor called from across the room. "Now, enough chitchat. Who wants chips?"

They returned to the Powell Estate and stopped off for chips. At first, it was uncomfortable. As time went on, Mickey and Jackie grew to like the odd couple. Daisy came along, of course. Once they returned to Jackie's flat, Jackie was brave enough to hold the tarantula. She chuckled and said that it tickled. Mickey ran out of the room in fear.

"This is enough domestics for one day," the Doctor grumbled by nightfall. "I can't take domestics too long."

"You're married. That's domestics for the rest of your life," Jackie smiled with a wagging finger.

He shook his head. "Not Rose and me. We're not domestic at all."

"It's true," Rose agreed. "It's a weird, but great, arrangement."

"Wait until the children. You can have kids, can't you? Or is there some issue with aliens and humans?" Jackie frowned, saddened to think that she might never have grandchildren with two legs instead of eight.

Rose looked to the Doctor. "We can have kids, right?"

"Yes, we can. There's a way. We've hardly been married a day, so stop talking about little ones already. Too much at once for this Time Lord."

They laughed and said farewell to Jackie. Walking hand in hand with Daisy riding around Rose, they went to the TARDIS. When they got there, Mickey had stuck a large sign on it that said: _Just Wed! _They knew it was him because he was still hanging around the blue box. The Doctor scowled and took it down instantly.

"Hey, I worked hard on that!" Mickey pouted.

"Right. Clearly, you've written something that will make Shakespeare jealous. And with magic markers on poster board? You must have slaved away all day thinking this up," the Doctor returned.

Rose laughed. "Boys, stop it. It was a lovely thought, Mickey."

"Thanks, Rose. At least you're nice, not like that husband of yours. So, when can I be Uncle Mickey? Oh, I know! Name one of your kids after me!"

The Doctor stalked into the TARDIS without another word. Rose smiled and said farewell to Mickey. After that, the time travelers and the tarantula went off for a honeymoon. In the back of their minds, they were already naming the kids they hadn't had yet.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven: Surprise**_

The Doctor was pacing in the console room. Every few minutes, he would check his watch and roll his eyes. It had been three hours since Rose promised that they could leave to collect crickets for Daisy. He was getting very irritated.

"Rose! Hurry up!"

After a pause, she emerged from their room with a blank expression. "Doctor, I'm late."

"I'd say so. Three hours, Rose. Three. Can we get going now?"

"No, I mean that _I'm late_."

There was a pause and the Doctor frowned. "How late is late?"

"Very."

"You're not pregnant."

"How can you tell? X-ray vision?"

He huffed. "A Time Lord and a human can't have a child without certain steps. We're not the same species."

"It's not even the least bit possible?"

"No. I'm almost positive."

"Almost? So there is a chance?"

"Well," he backpedaled. "It's never been studied. Plenty of Time Lords have slept with humans, but none have had children. That have been documented, that is. I'm not sure of the science. There's a very slight chance that it could have happened."

She folded her arms with a tiny scowl. "Didn't you say that you'd sense other Time Lords in your head? Could you sense a child?"

He paused and moved to her slowly. Their hands linked together and he shut his eyes. He could hear something, but he wasn't sure what it was. Upon listening closer, he knew exactly what it was. A heartbeat. It could be Rose's, but he felt two of them. She waited until he opened his eyes, and at that point she knew it.

"Doctor…we're having a baby, aren't we?"

"Follow me."

They went to the medical bay and the Doctor did a few tests. They had to wait a few minutes for the results, so they were practically dying from the tension. That's when the machine went ding when there was stuff, so he ran to it and read the numbers. A grin crossed his face.

"Go tell Daisy that she's getting a brother or sister."

Rose shrieked from the excitement and kissed the Doctor on the lips with all of her might. They had been married for almost a year, which meant that it was fairly soon to have kids. However, neither one could complain about the unusual surprise. Rose was particularly ecstatic, and she was nearly leaping up and down when she arrived at Daisy's tank.

"You're having a sibling!" she exclaimed as if the spider could understand. "Now, don't you worry. We won't love you any less than we already do. There's plenty of room in this box for everyone."

The Doctor arrived at that moment to find Rose on the phone with her mother. After an hour conversation, Rose appeared to be slightly deflated and irate. Concerned but also not really wanting to know the story, he tried to quietly back out of the room.

"Oh no you don't," Rose said with a glare in his direction.

"What did she say now?"

"She wants me to divorce you, if alien divorces exist, and come home to raise the child like a human. Because, apparently, living in the whole of time and space is dangerous and not wholesome. I reminded her that our child is half Time Lord and would stick out like a sore thumb in London. Can you imagine? Our little one in a normal lecture? He or she will probably know everything about quantum physics by the time they're two years old. So I told her to calm down and be happy that she's a grandmother. Oh, and she says hello and hopes you're well."

They shared a laugh. "That sounds like Jackie. And to think that she's my mother-in-law…it gives me chills."

"You know that you love her. I just can't believe that I'm going to be a mother. We'll need a nursery. And to go shopping. When will we know if it's a boy or a girl? We have to think of names! Oh, I have one! If it's a boy, let's name him Peter after my dad. I think that's fitting, yeah? I'd really like that. But what about a girl? That's going to be a hard one."

The Doctor smiled at how quickly Rose was talking. He put an arm around her with a gentle smile. "Rose, you have nine months. Take a breath. We'll figure it out."

"Right. And it's just our first one."

"First one?"

"Well, we need at least two. One is going to be lonely traveling without any mates his or her own age. Don't you want more than one?"

He rubbed his aching forehead with a glance at his wife. "Right now I'm just trying to wrap my mind around a tarantula and a baby. I need time to get used to that. I don't know if I'm ready to be a father again."

"…again?"

"Yeah. I was a dad once. A long time ago. They died. My children. Everyone in my family did. Obviously. I'm the last one."

She listened and softly pressed her mouth to his cheek. "Well, you aren't anymore. You have me and our kids. That's something."

"Yeah. That's something."

They paused to smile and then the Doctor leapt up and ran towards the console room. Rose followed him curiously. "Doctor? Where are you going?"

"To make a nursery, Rose! And the childproofing! That will be a nightmare! I better start now. This isn't a small home!"

"Nine months, Doctor. You have time."

He grinned with light in his eyes. "No time like the present! I have to get Daisy. She'll keep me company while I work. You need to rest up. The second morning sickness kicks in, you will have no sleep. And then you won't sleep for the rest of your life. Parents _never_ sleep. All the crying and worrying and changing and soothing—it goes on forever."

She hadn't thought of the challenges of parenting, so she sat down with a nervous expression. "Kids are a lot more work than spiders, aren't they?"

"You can say that again, but it's well worth it. This is it, Rose. The best years of our lives. Starting over. Starting a family. New life. New world. Together."

Smiling, they embraced and prepared for an entirely new and exciting journey.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve: Unusual Deliveries**_

"Well, this planet was worth the wait," Rose snarled sarcastically. "What do you have to say for yourself, husband?"

The Doctor glared intensely. "I never said that it'd go well. I just said that it'd be exciting. We did get excitement."

Placed precariously in stocks, the couple found themselves surrounded by the malicious race of talking cows. Rose was nine months pregnant and ready to burst. He assured her that nothing bad would happen this time. They'd only land, look about at the funny speaking bovines, and then hop back onto the TARDIS as if they were never there. However, the cows didn't like them invading their most sacred grazing spot…a minor landing miscalculation on the Doctor's part.

"What are we going to do now? Can you use your sonic screwdriver or something?"

"I can't," he grumbled. "It doesn't work on wood."

"Blimey, of all the things it can't do! Doctor, I can't keep bending over like this. My stomach is the size of a bloody pumpkin and my feet are killing me. How's Daisy?"

The Doctor glanced awkwardly at the little box hanging from his neck. She appeared to be just fine. "She's fantastic."

"At least one of us is."

"I will dance in the streets of every planet in the universe when our son pops out of you. I can't stand the hormones. All the crying and the yelling—it's unbearable. I feel like I'm married to Jackie."

"Oi! I am _not_ my mother, and you better take that back if you want to ever sleep in the same bed again."

"With your snoring? It'd be a vacation."

"That's it. I'm going to tell our son that you're just some man I picked up and his real father is Mickey."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "He'll notice the truth when he sees my skin tone and my big ears. I'm not worried."

"Silence!" one of the cows shouted intensely. "The Queen has arrived to sentence you!"

Walking calmly through her subjects, the black and white cow approached the stocks with disapproving eyes. "You entered our pasture without permission. That is punishable by death."

"Death? For that?" the Doctor repeated. "Planets are getting less and less tolerant these days."

Rose felt something and looked down in horror. "Doctor, I think my water just broke."

"Not now, Rose. We're about to go on trial."

She winced at the unbelievable pain and glared pointedly. "Doctor, our son is about to be born. The bloody trial can wait!"

That's when it truly registered that their child was on the way. Panicking, the Doctor tried to think of a plan to get them out of the situation. Quickly, he pulled his hand through one of the holes—though it snapped his wrist—and undid the closure to Daisy's portable home. She gladly climbed onto his hand and up to his shoulder. The Queen saw this and shrieked in horror.

"Spider! Big, hairy, ugly spider! Run! Everyone! Before it strikes!"

The cows scattered in terror while the Doctor uncomfortably slid his stock open. He wriggled out and went to Rose's aid. Together, they fled towards the TARDIS. Noticing that the prisoners were escaping, the cows returned and began to chase them. After a long and painful run, they managed to get into the TARDIS and escape the planet.

Rose was ushered into the medical bay, cursing and yelling the entire time. Daisy sat on the counter while the Doctor wrapped his wrist. He sprang into action and prepared Rose for her delivery. She calmed some with the drugs, but only just.

"We could have all been killed!"

"When haven't we almost been killed, Rose?"

"We've had calmer adventures."

"Ah, but those _weren't_ adventures. They were quiet dates and they were boring. Dreadfully dull. You know it. I know it. Daisy knows it. Even the baby knows it. And I know that you had fun until your water broke. Don't you deny it."

She scowled, but he was right. It was always a blast. After hours and hours of pain and waiting, the Doctor said that it was time. She pushed and pushed until a shrill cry filled the air. The Doctor gently wrapped the little person in a blue blanket and handed him to her mother.

"Rose, meet our son. Peter."

Tears filled her eyes and the entire nine months of discomfort, and the day of being chased by cows, seemed worth it. Their next stop was the Powell Estate so Jackie could meet her grandson. It was also time to introduce Daisy, which made Jackie very nervous.

"Shouldn't you wait until he's older? What if she bites or something?"

"Jackie, I know what I'm doing," the Doctor argued as he leaned down with the spider in his hands. "Daisy, this is your brother. Be nice to him. He's very little."

The spider didn't move and neither did the baby. They simply stared at each other in silence. Rose smiled happily. "They like each other."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "You're all mental. Even so, I got my grandson a few jumpers! I think you'll like them."

She held up three Halloween jumpers, and all of them had something to do with spiders. Grinning, Rose and the Doctor thanked her for the wonderful gift. She hugged them each, kissed Peter on the forehead, and even offered to carry Daisy back to her terrarium. She even did it without dropping the spider.

The family sat around the console room the following morning to say their farewells before a new adventure. Jackie smirked at the stuffed arachnid Peter had in his hands. She went in for a closer look and snapped her fingers.

"He's got your nose, Doctor. The poor thing. But I think that he'll have Rose's smile and that Tyler blond hair. Maybe even some ginger like Pete had. He's going to be a very happy boy. When are you giving him another human sibling? I say it'll be a girl. You should name her something like Sunflower or Orchid. Stick with the whole flower theme."

The Doctor rubbed his forehead. "Sunflower Tyler? Are you mad?"

"I'm not the one living with a tarantula, am I?"

"Mum, you'll get another grandchild when you get one. For now, just enjoy the one you've got, all right?"

There was a knock, so the Doctor checked the door in confusion. Mickey rushed inside, panting and pointing at the baby. "Am I too late for the naming? Did you consider 'Mickey' at all?"

"He's Peter," Rose laughed as she went to embrace him.

"Damn. I was too late," he sighed as he smiled at the infant. "Hey there, mate. I'm Uncle Mickey. And we're going to have so much fun! I'll teach you the human stuff like football and how to deal with your crushes. I even have some toy cars for you when you're older. You'll have a blast and…dear God, he's got the Doctor's nose! That poor little guy."

Huffing, the Doctor nodded to the door. "Enough domestics. Out. We've got the universe to explore and a baby in need of a feeding."

"Someone is cranky," Rose sighed in response.

"That's why he needs a feeding," the Doctor agreed.

"I meant you," she chuckled while hugging her mother and Mickey farewell. "We'll be around again soon."

They waved goodbye, but Mickey popped his head in the door. "Can the next one be named after me?"

"No, she's going to be called Sunflower!" Jackie's voice called.

The Doctor put his face in his hands. "I can't believe I married those two when I married you."

"It could be worse. They don't live with us," Rose whispered.

"Could we?" Mickey and Jackie wondered in unison.

"Out!" the Doctor demanded as they quietly slinked away. "No more domestics. I am done for the day."

Rose held out Peter with a grin. "Only after you change his diaper."

He took his son with a tiny smirk. "Oh, all right. But only because it's for you, son. Don't tell anyone else. They'll think I've gone soft."

"You have," Rose answered wickedly.

"Have not!"


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen: Missing Peter**_

"We need to get going before I get old and regenerate!" the Doctor called outside of Peter's bedroom. He knocked for the fourth time with an eye roll. "Just like his mother. Always has to match his shoes to his jumper…"

"I heard that," Rose hissed as she passed by with their travel bag.

He shrugged. "It can't be offensive if it's true."

"Shut it. Peter, shake a leg, we're going to Gran's!"

There was silence and the Doctor decided to barge in, something he had gotten a little better about in five years of marriage. The door flew open and they found Peter's room empty. With a glance at Rose, she held up a hand in understanding.

"I'll go check our room. He's probably saying goodbye to Daisy. He thinks that he'll be gone for years and never see her again."

"He knows that it's a week, doesn't he? You told him that."

"Yeah, but it's his first time away from home for so long, Doctor. And he's old enough to understand that a week to him could be years to us. For all he knows, we're abandoning him for twenty-five years. I'll go check on him and you go get Lily ready to go."

They split up and the Doctor happily walked towards his daughter's room. She was only a year old, and they decided to stick to the flower theme for her name. Sunflower and Mickey were not viable names from the beginning, but still Mickey and Jackie were heartbroken by their choice. She looked like a Lily, however. She was a fragile little thing with Rose's eyes and the Doctor's goofy grin. When she was born, she already had a tiny crop of dark hair just like her father.

"All right, Lily. Are you ready for a holiday? I know me and your mum are _very_ ready."

To his surprise, the one year old was gone.

Down the hallway, Rose entered their bedroom to locate Peter. She looked around for a moment, called his name several times, and then she went to check on Daisy. The spider was also missing. All three of their children were gone.

"Rose!"

"Doctor!"

They met up halfway with panicked expressions. The Doctor went first. "Lily is gone. Did you find Peter?"

"No. I didn't find Daisy either. You don't think that Peter would try to drop her over the railing in the console room to see if she'll bounce again, do you?"

"Rose, he was two when he did that. He's four now. He could teach the laws of physics and gravity, so he understands that isn't possible. There's only one explanation for this."

She waited, but he didn't explain. "And that is what exactly?"

"Peter didn't want to go see Jackie. Must get that from me. He took his sisters and is hiding from us somewhere in the TARDIS just to avoid the visit."

"Well, fat lot of good that is. We live in a box the size of a city. Lily is just a baby. We need to find them. What if something horrible happens?"

"Calm down. It's the TARDIS. They're safe here. We still need to find them. Peter is highly intelligent. He would pick a hiding place very carefully. It'd be the last place that we'd ever think to find them…where would that be?"

They took a moment to think about it. Rose grinned excitedly as soon as it hit her. "The laundry."

"The laundry?"

"He's terrified of that room. Remember? He thought that there was a Dalek in there, but it was just that pair of his trousers. The ones with the huge, round, metallic buttons up and down the side. He went running and hasn't gone back in there since."

The Doctor nodded. "Everyone is terrified of Daleks…"

"Exactly."

"Worth a try."

Together, they went to the laundry. Among the piles of clothes, they saw a crop of blond hair. Edging around the mess, they found him sitting in the corner with Lily in his lap and Daisy on his shoulder. Guiltily, he looked down at his trainers.

"Peter Tyler, what were you thinking?" the Doctor demanded.

"I didn't want to go to Gran's. You might take Daisy and not come back. I didn't want that. Sorry, Dad. Sorry, Mum."

Rose pulled the Doctor aside by his leather jacket. "Doctor, why don't we let them take Daisy? It might help."

Sighing and dealing with separation anxiety of his own, he reluctantly nodded. "Fine. They can take Daisy. Now, let me have Lily and go get dressed for your gran's."

Peter passed Lily to the Doctor and ran off to get ready, keeping Daisy with him the entire way. Several minutes later, they were ready to go to the Powell Estate. Jackie would watch them all for a week, and Mickey promised he'd play with them while they were there.

However, when it came time to leave, the Doctor clung to baby Lily and sent a forlorn glance at this son and spider. Rose put a hand on his arm with concern. "Doctor, we should get going."

"I know."

"But you aren't moving."

"I think that I'm aware of that, Rose."

She grunted. "Time Lords. Always condescending."

"I'm going. Just give me a minute with the kids."

"Okay. I'll go thank my mum. Then, we're going to see the Aborigines like we planned."

Rose went around the corner and the Doctor leaned down to talk to Peter. "Now son, you're in charge of watching over the girls. Daisy needs a few crickets on Tuesday. Give her fresh water and a misting. And make sure that you talk to her. She likes the vibrations. And little Lily needs you to watch after her. Protect her. She's your family. We're the last three of our kind. Stick together. Share your toys. And give her a goodnight kiss for me and your mum. And you watch after yourself too. You're not invincible, young man. No stunts. No danger. No running. We'll be back before you know it. And don't you dare tell anyone that I'm this soft. Your mum thinks I'm a domestic now because she 'broke me in' like a stray dog. She's right, but she can't ever know that. Do you understand all that, Peter?"

"Yes sir."

"I love you, children. All three of you."

Peter grinned and gave him a hug. "Fantastic. I love you too."

Rose appeared and said farewell to the children as well. They all waved and got into the TARDIS. The Doctor and Rose traveled to meet the aborginees, but as soon as they landed the Doctor looked towards the hall with a sigh.

"What?" Rose wondered.

"It's too bloody quiet. My daughter isn't screaming for a bottle. My son isn't running about with his toy sonic screwdriver. And my spider is crunching cricket parts in her fangs. It's wrong, Rose. It's all wrong."

"Someone misses the domestics."

"I do not. We are not domestic. Nothing about us is domestic. I miss my family."

"That's domestics. I'm right. You're a domestic now."

The Doctor glared. "Did Peter tell you anything?"

"He might have whispered in my ear when I hugged him goodbye. Maybe."

Groaning, he pointed a finger. "That boy can't keep a secret to save his life. He loves to talk, just like his mother. And you're just like your mother."

"Don't say that. Don't ever say that."

"Just did."

They smiled and Rose patted the console affectionately. "Good thing we live in a time machine. Let's skip ahead a week and go get the kids. We'll go on holiday alone when they're full grown."

With a grin, the Doctor took them back to the Powell Estate.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter Fourteen: A fitting end**_

Before they knew it, little Peter was seven years old and Lily was four. Daisy was still alive and doing well. She was over six inches in diameter now, and both children still loved to play with her. Peter would pretend that she was the giant monster attacking his block cities, yet Lily preferred to share a little girl time. The Doctor occasionally found doll hats on top of Daisy, and oddly the spider didn't seem to care or even mind.

Today, the family was going on a special sort of outing.

"Where are we going again?" Peter asked as Rose adjusted his red jumper and mini leather jacket.

"It's a secret, son," the Doctor told him in a quiet voice. "All I can tell you is that we are all going somewhere to get something."

"Is it bananas?" Lily questioned with her curious, blue eyes. "Bananas are great."

Rose smiled fondly and winked at the Doctor. "Not it, Lily. But nice try. You're going to like it very much. Come on, kids. Let's leave the TARDIS for now."

The Doctor picked up little Lily and Rose took Peter's hand. They exited the TARDIS and found themselves on a busy street in New York City. After dodging many wandering tourists and businessmen, they stood outside of a small shop. This wasn't just any shop. This was Bad Wolf Exotics.

Loudly, the bells rang as they entered the establishment. Tanks and cages lined all of the walls, and the smell of woodchips filled the air. A strange man with long hair looked up from a comic book and spotted the family. He grinned and pointed.

"Hey, you're that funny British guy that bought a tarantula from me a few weeks ago. How is she doing?"

Rose wanted to laugh at the power of time travel. "She's doing fine. He surprised me with her. I wasn't fond of her at first, but now I really like her."

"That's good. What can I help you with today?" the man questioned.

"We're here to buy another pet," the Doctor explained. "These two children are going to pick something out."

Peter and Lily looked at each other and could hardly contain themselves. The Doctor set his daughter down and allowed them to run all over the store, staring into various cages and tanks. After a long time, the children seemed to revisit the same tank over and over again. They whispered to each other and pointed inside of it. Curious, Rose wandered over for a closer look. She smirked and motioned at the Doctor to come closer.

"What do we have here?" the Doctor chuckled as he lifted Peter for a closer look. "Is that really what you both want?"

"I want it more than anything!" Peter declared at the top of his lungs.

"What about you, Lily?" Rose asked with a nod to the creature. "You want that too?"

She shyly nodded her head. "Yes."

"Then we'll take it!" the Doctor declared.

"Fantastic!" Peter agreed proudly.

Swiftly, the man boxed everything up and accepted the Doctor's "borrowed" money from an automatic teller. The family returned to the TARDIS to set the animal up inside of the playroom for the children. All four of them gathered around the terrarium with daft grins.

"She's so pretty," Lily declared.

"I know," Peter agreed.

"What do you want to name her?" the Doctor asked his kids.

They whispered again for a few long moments before saying in unison, "Daisy Two."

Chuckling, Rose shook her head. "Not very creative, but I like it. Why don't we go have some dinner?"

The kids rushed off to the kitchen while the Doctor and Rose hung back to inspect their new pet. He glanced at Rose with pride. "They're our kids, all right. Out of an entire pet store, they had to pick another tarantula."

"Well, this one isn't a rose hair. So, it's sort of different…"

"Yeah, the red knees are nice. So colorful! Well, Daisy Two, welcome to the TARDIS. You're one of us now. Congratulations."

Together, they walked towards the kitchen. Rose hummed thoughtfully at their newest pet. "You know, it seems right they got a tarantula. After all, that's what started all this."

"Time is like that. A big, wibbly-wobbly ball. Always comes back to the start. Let's go before our little monsters get too cranky without their chips…a lot like their mum."

"Oi!"

With that, Rose chased the doctor down the hallway to eat dinner with their kids. Elsewhere in the TARDIS, two tarantulas sat quietly in their homes, waiting until the next time their family dropped in for a visit.

_**End**_

_A/N: Totally random, I know. Dedicated to my deceased pet cricket, Wicket, and my very lively rose hair tarantula, Daisy. Yes, Daisy and Wicket are both real, live creatures from my strange, personal zoo. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it._


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